A Cry in the Dark (Carly Moore #1) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,132

like I’d be relinquishing all control of the situation if I just left.

“Carly,” he begged in a whisper. “Please. I’ll be okay. I know this trail like the back of my hand.”

“Okay,” I said, mostly because I knew I would slow him down and this way he might have a chance. “I’ll go to Max.”

He gave me a soft kiss.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” I said. “Because I need you too.”

He grinned against my lips. “Nothin’s keepin’ me from you, Carly Moore. Now do what we discussed, okay? Take off and get Max.”

He pressed the keys into my hand and headed toward the trail.

“What happened to the deputy?” Wyatt shouted down to Carson once he was back on the path and heading up the incline.

Carson was squatted next to the tow truck, looking underneath, but at the sound of Wyatt’s voice he stood and turned to face the trail entrance. “You were right about the police being crooked. I got some information that he intended to hurt Carly,” Carson said as he started for the trail, his rifle now slung over his shoulder. “I had to protect her.”

“I’m sure Max will appreciate it,” Wyatt called out as he climbed the rocky trail, making a lot more noise than he had before. “He and Tiny have grown quite attached to her.”

“Seems like both Drummond boys have.”

Wyatt was right about Carson being experienced. He was advancing up the trail at a much faster pace than I had with Wyatt.

“Why don’t you come on down?” Carson said good-naturedly. “You’ve got nothing to be worried about now.”

“Seems like a good night for stargazing,” Wyatt called down. “I used to bring girls up here all the time when I was growin’ up. Hate to be rude, Carson, but you’re killing the mood.”

Carson laughed. He was about to pass my position on the trail, and I realized why Wyatt was keeping him talking—we would both know Carson’s location, and Carson wouldn’t think we were purposefully hiding.

“I have to say that I’ve never brought a woman up here,” Carson said. “Maybe you could show me the best spot.”

They were silent for several seconds, but I could hear Carson’s footsteps on the rocky part of the trail. Which meant he’d be able to hear me too.

They were both moving at a fast clip, and Wyatt had a good lead. Still, Wyatt wouldn’t have any way of defending himself if Carson caught up with him. He didn’t have a gun.

“There’s a good spot up here,” Wyatt shouted. “You can check it out, but Carly and I will have to find another one.”

“That’s not very hospitable,” Carson said, and I realized he was about twenty feet above me.

Time to move.

My heart was pounding with fear, equal parts for me and for Wyatt. I didn’t feel right about leaving him, but I told myself it was the best way to get him help.

Holding on to the trees, I descended down the side of the trail, trying to keep the sound to a minimum.

“Have you got a girlfriend, Carson?” Wyatt asked, his voice echoing. He was starting to sound winded. He must be in a clearing, which meant he wouldn’t have much cover. “In all these years, I’ve known you to have dated only a handful of women.”

I had been descending at a slow pace, but once I hit a dirt path, I fled at a faster clip. My eyes had adjusted to the dim light, so I could better see the terrain.

“Why isn’t Carly joinin’ this chat?” Carson asked, his words coming in pants. “Seems a bit rude of us not to include her.”

“Well, now,” Wyatt said in a drawl. “Carly’s more of an indoors kind of girl and she’s not used to hikin’, so she’s conservin’ her breath.”

“Still,” Carson said, his voice faint. “I’d just as soon hear from her.”

I hurried now, because Carson had clearly figured out our plan. Hopefully he thought I’d stayed hidden in the trees.

It took me several more minutes to make it to the trail entrance, but once I did, I realized what Carson had been up to while he was squatting next to the truck. The tires on the passenger side were completely flat. There was no way I was driving anywhere.

Hurrying around the front of the truck, I found Marco lying on the asphalt parking lot, completely still.

“Marco!” I whisper-shouted as I dropped down next to him.

He released a low groan and I nearly cried with relief. His left thigh was bloody, and